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Sister Evangelina
Sister Evangelina (birth name, Enid) was a member of the Order of Saint Raymond Nonnatus and a resident of Nonnatus House. She was portrayed by Pam Ferris. Overview Her given name was Enid. She had a younger brother named Vincent, and an unnamed older brother who had already died prior to the start of Series One. Sister Evangelina grew up in extreme poverty, which set her apart from her other Sisters-in-God. Sister Evangelina revealed in one episode that her brother Vincent was the first baby she saw being born and that was the event which helped her decide on her chosen path in life. Biography Sister Evangelina is an extremely skilled midwife as well as a devout nun. At the start of Series Four, Sister Evangelina begins showing signs of ill health such as pushing her food away from her at mealtimes and putting her hand to her back in chapel when the nuns stood to pray, These signs don't go unnoticed by Sister Julienne who tries to persuade her to see a doctor, but Sister Evangelina stubbornly refuses to admit she has a problem. Soon enough though, Sister Monica Joan catches on to Sister Evangelina's suffering and warns her that she faces disqualification from work if she doesn't see a doctor. Sister Evangelina finally gives in and asks Shelagh to make her an appointment with a female doctor. Sister Evangelina is diagnosed with fibroids and is told she requires a hysterectomy, but she refuses to have the surgery because it would mean putting herself out of work. She also initially clashed with new nurse Phyllis Crane, whose officious manner got under Sister Evangelina's skin, although she soon warmed to Phyllis after Phyllis showed her kinder side when she helped Barbara and Patsy with a particularly difficult birth. At this point Sister Evangelina finally agreed to the surgery, after which she was sent to the Motherhouse in Chichester to recuperate. Soon after her return, a fire broke out at the maternity home but in the commotion, Sister Evangelina unintentionally switched two babies who were untagged and gave each one to the wrong mother. She was absolutely devastated when she realised her mistake. Sister Evangelina had a very contentious relationship with Sister Monica Joan who would often provoke her to breaking point. Despite this, she truly loved Sister Monica Joan and feared for her safety when the elderly Sister went missing in the 2015 Christmas Special. When she realised Sister Monica Joan had returned to her (now empty) childhood home, she had Fred drive her there and they brought Sister Monica Joan back. In Series Five, Sister Evangelina voiced her opposition to formula milk, insisting "breast is best". Her words had disastrous consequences when one young mother who was having trouble breastfeeding refused to use formula due to Sister Evangelina's opinion. The mother lost confidence in her own abilities and when Sister Mary Cynthia checked in on her, she noticed the mother was bleeding and the baby was severely dehydrated. Sister Mary Cynthia gently but firmly repremanded Sister Evangelina, telling her the consequences of her stubborn attitudes. A devastated Sister Evangelina asked to leave Nonnatus House temporarily to spend time with an enclosed order. After six months, Sister Evangelina returned to Nonnatus House, but all was not well. Sister Julienne noticed Sister Evangelina wasn't moving her left arm, and Sister Evangelina admitted that she suffered a stroke two months after leaving the convent. Sister Evangelina passed away following a second stroke in the Season Five finale, devastating her fellow Sisters, nurses, and the community. Mr. Crelin, a young undertaker, told Sister Julienne that his company would take care of the funeral arrangements free of charge, saying it was his way of repaying Sister Evangelina for nursing his mother back to health after she almost died giving birth to him. Personality Sister Evangelina is brash, opinionated and quite ready to give anyone a tongue-lashing if she feels it is deserved (typically several times a day). Her no-nonsense attitude can intimidate the younger midwives upon first meeting her. Despite this, Sister Evangelina is extremely caring, dedicated and gentle towards her patients and towards anyone going through a legitimately hard time at Nonnatus House. She is brave, fiercely devoted towards her job and extremely difficult to intimidate. She is closest to Sister Julienne and is a rock for all to cling to when times are difficult. Trivia Despite her death, Sister Evangelina's name has cropped up a few times since her passing. In Series Six, Sister Monica Joan tells new midwife Valerie Dyer that she and Sister Evangelina both tended to her mother when she was giving birth to her. Pam Ferris previously worked with Linda Bassett (Phyllis Crane) in the TV mini-series, Our Mutual Friend in 1998. Quotes Category:Characters Category:Females Category:Nuns Category:Midwives Category:Nurses Category:Deceased